Chapter３１

Child support payments and birthday cards in the mail were all David had known of his father for the first ten years of his life, and he'd told me that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

"It has gotten better, however," I responded. "You two are becoming closer. "Do you remember how it felt the first time I came over?"

David had only been living with his father for a few weeks, but the tension was palpable. I hadn't been introduced by David. I'd barely gotten a glance at Dr.Jonson before David hurried me down the stairs to the basement. It would be a month before I had my first chat with his father.

Time had worn away at them, lessening the sharp edge of David's rage, but it hadn't totally dissipated. They'd been playing family for so long that it seemed nearly genuine.

"It's not going to affect what I do," Carl remarked, running his palm over his long face. "I'm never going to give up trying to make things right with him." But be honest with me. Is it too late?"